Chapter 58
Chapter 58
Leah
Caleb glares at me with sparkling eyes, and I gulp when his jaw enches with barely restrained frustration. He is mad, and that’s why I get nervous when he steps closer, crowding me with his larger frame.
“Is that what this is about? You think you need to lose weight?”
I avert my gaze, suddenly feeling foolish under his intense scrutiny. “Maybe,” I mumble.
Strong fingers grasp my chin, forcing me to meet Caleb’s stormy blue eyes. “You’re not fat, Leah. You’re curvy and sexy as hell–there’s a difference.”
His words move me on a deeper plan, and, for a moment, I consider staying inside with my hunky soon–to–be husband, but then I remember that’s what got me here in the first place. Too many nights watching Desperate Housewives or Grey’s Anatomy while letting Caleb hand–feed me chocolate and grapes is why I’m fat!
I take a calculative step back, knowing moving too fast could ruin this whole operation. Nah, if I want to start my new workout regime, I need to play my cards right with Caleb, or else he will carry my fat ass back to the bedroom.
“I know that I’m curvy, but I have this itch in my legs, you see. It’s telling me to go for a walk.”
Caleb looks at me like I’m mad before sighing. “I’m coming with you then.”
What? No! He can’t come with me. Caleb is in better shape than me and would laugh at my pace. I need to make shit up for him to stay home!
“You can’t!” I exclaim, and when he gives me a suspicious look, I quickly add, “You see, I’m going to be using hiking poles-”
Caleb snorts in amusement, interrupting me with this big, goofy smirk on his lips. “For running?!”
Pokerface, Leah. Don’t let him see that you’re lying your brain’s out! “Uh, yes?”
Caleb looks down at me for a long minute, his lips twitching as he fights a smile. “Hiking poles for running. Right. You’re a terrible liar, you know that?”
I sputter indignantly. “I–I’m not lying! It’s a new technique I read about online. V–very effective for…uh, toning the arms while you jog.”
“Uh–huh. Sure it is.” Amusement shines on his face as he says that, making it obvious he isn’t buying my bullshit for a second. I’m about to tell him that I ain’t lying, but he beats me to it by adding, “Anyway, for what it’s worth, you don’t need to lose weight.”
“I do.”
“No, you don’t…” There’s a sigh. “What brought this up in the first place?”
I avert my gaze and release a huff. I don’t want to tell him about the comments, but Caleb is a patient man who won’t let this go, so I need some form of explanation.
“It’s not just about losing weight,” I mutter, avoiding Caleb’s knowing gaze since the man can see through me like Clark Kent can see through walls. “I want to be healthy and fit. For myself. For…the wedding dress I’m about to wear this upcoming
summer.”
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22 Sat, Feb
Chapter 58
Caleb’s expression softens at that. “I didn’t realize the wedding was stressing you out so much. I’m sorry. I should have known.”
And now I feel like an asshole for lying to Caleb about this being about our wedding…
Like the guilty bitch I am, I hang my head. “Sorry, this isn’t really about the dress or the wedding.”
“Ha, I knew it!” Caleb pokes me in the nose with a boyish grin on his lips.
I gasp. “Wait, you knew I wasn’t worried about the wedding dress!”
“Yeah, I mean….since when do you care about what you’re wearing?”
Fuck, he is absolutely right! I’ve been caught in my own web of lies and groan. There’s no escaping Caleb’s perceptive gaze now. Reluctantly, I meet his eyes, my cheeks heating with embarrassment.
“Fine, you want the truth? Some of my readers left comments saying that I’ve gotten fat and that you’re probably going to dump me because of it. Happy now?”
Caleb’s eyes widen in surprise before darkening with anger. “What? Who the hell said that? Let me see the page. There might be IP addresses there. I will have a hitman track them down and murder-”
“Caleb, no!” I cut him off, placing my hands on his chest to calm him. “They’re just internet trolls. It’s not worth getting worked up over.”
Caleb is actually frightening me a little. His eyes are doing a poor job at hiding his rage and since he is one of the richest men alive I know he could easily hire someone to get rid of my readers. What a scary thought!
Caleb takes a deep breath, visibly trying to reign in his temper. “You’re right. I’m sorry. It just makes me so angry to think of anyone saying such hurtful things to you.”
“Murder isn’t the answer.”
Caleb frowns. “I wish it was…”
Okay, that’s scary. I need to make him think of something else and quick!
I take his hand in mine. “Alright, Dexter, let’s go for a calming walk in the dark.”
To my surprise, Caleb smiles back at me. “A walk actually sounds nice.”
We leave the house, but not without Caleb forcing me to wear one of his huge winter coats. The thing is so large I feel like a little kid wearing their dad’s jacket. I can barely walk. Caleb, however, hasn’t noticed a thing and is still stuck on the weight conversation.
“You know I love you, right?” Caleb says as we walk down the street, breaking the stillness. “No matter what size you are or what anyone else says.”
I say nothing since I’m trying my darn hardest not to fall and when Caleb glances down at me, he burst out laughing. “Why the hell are you walking like that?!”
“I can’t help it!” I growl. “Your jacket is huge!”
Caleb chuckles, his eyes crinkling with mirth. “I’m sorry, baby. I just wanted to make sure you were warm enough.”
Chapter 58
I pout up at him just like a kid. “Well, by giving me this coat, youve succeeded in making me look like a toddler playing dress–up in their dad’s clothes.”
Caleb’s grin widens. “An adorable toddler, though.”
“Oh my god, you didn’t even bother to hide it!”
“Eh, can’t hide the truth.”
I swat at his arm, but it does not affect my behemoth boyfriend. With his new workout regimen, it’s like hitting a brick wall. I don’t think he even notices the amount of force behind it, so I decide to fight with words instead. “Shut up. You’re not helping!”
Caleb laughs. “I’m sorry, I can’t help it. You just look so damn cute all bundled up like that.”
He reaches out and tugs the coat’s hood over my head, making me squeak. The furry trim frames my face, and Caleb laughs while pulling the strings to make it tighter.
“Caleb!” I protest, my voice muffled by the fur. “Stop it! I can’t see!”
“That’s the point,” Caleb says as he grabs my shoulders to steer me forward. “I’m taking you somewhere secret.”
I frown but let Caleb guide me down the street, fully trusting him not to let me faceplant on the icy sidewalk. Luckily, it doesn’t take long for us to come to a stop.
“Okay, we’re finally here,” I can hear the sound in Caleb’s voice. “Are you ready to see it?”
“More than ready.”
“You won’t be disappointed,” Caleb promises as he steps back from me.
Curiously, I push back the fur–lined hood and gasp when I see the scene before me. There’s a glorious Christmas tree that would make every stoner go WOAH standing before me. There are so many lights that the branches sparkle like disco balls. Seriously. It’s as if we’ve been transported to a wacky Hallmark movie set.
I fucking love it.
“Oh, Caleb,” I breathe, my heart hammering inside my chest. I honestly feel like a cat discovering catnip for the first time- that’s how huge my eyes are. “It’s beautiful.”
Caleb’s arms wrap around me from behind, pulling me flush against his strong chest. He then rests his chin on the top of my head and says, “I thought you might like it. I know how much you love Christmas, and now that we are here, you may make a wish.”
I turn in Caleb’s arms to gaze up at him with a warm smile that reaches from one ear to the other. “That one is easy: Lwant a child…” I bite my lip when sad memories of Jenna hit me, and then I whisper, “Do you…do you think it’s possible for me to get pregnant again? Will…Jenna hate me if we have another baby?”
“Hey, hey, it’s okay!” Caleb hugs me when I start crying, but I can feel that he is emotional, too. We are both hurting, and his next sentence makes me cry even more: “I know losing Jenna still hurts. It probably always will. But that doesn’t mean we can’t try again, and trust me, we will have another baby. All we need to do is keep trying.”
